Soluble ink fountain pen



Oct. 30, 1934. R. B. KINGMAN SOLUBLE INK FOUNTAIN PEN Filed May l, 1954 INVENTOR Patented Oct. 30, 1934 PATENT OFFICE SOLUBLE INK,`

FOUNTAIN PEN Russell B. Kingman, Orange, N. J.

Application May-1, 1934, Serial No. 723,345

7 Claims.

` Thisinvention relates to improvements in fountain pens of the kind in which thewriting fludis produced by owing a solvent, such as 4 water; in" contact with initially dry but soluble 5 ink material, the resultant writing fluid being thereupon delivered'to the pen nib; the present inventionI having reference to further improvements in soluble ink fountain pens of the gen'- er'altype disclosed in prior United States ALettersPatent'No.`1,912,774, dated June 6, 1933 and in a pending application for United States Letter's Patent Ser. No. 710,450, filed February 9th,

1934, wherein a plurality of individual ink masses are arranged to be successively available.

The present invention has for its principal obj'e'ct to provide an improved arrangementwherein the ink material magazine is detachably connected with thepen structure, subject to removal and replacement; the means for coupling or sea curing the magazine in operative relation to the pen structure being such that uidtight joints are assured when the parts are operatively assembled;

This invention has for a further object to pro- 125 vide a novel pen structure wherein theinkmaterialy magazine, when operatively assembled therein, is securely `held in astationary position o1" relation to the pen: barrel, and a novel means is provided for rotatably connecting with these `30l parts a pen nib carrying throat member and solvent feed means whereby the latter may be quickly, easily and selectively brought into connection with the several individual masses ofv ink material stored in the magazine.

Other objects of thisinvention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood fromthe following detailed description of the same. f

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in Which:-

Fig. 1 is an elevational View of a soluble ink fountain pen according to Athis invention, the closure cap being omitted; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section,` taken on line 2--2 in Fig. 1, but drawn on an enlarged scale; Fig; 3' is a transverse section through the ink material magazine'and solvent feed means, taken on line 3-3` in Fig. l2; and Fig. 4 is a View in part side elevation and in part section, illustrating the manner of disassembling the pen structure for the purpose' of removing the ink material magazine for recharging or replacement.

Fig. 5 is a `fragmentary vertical section through the ink material magazine, showing a modified (Cl. 1Z0-42) form and arrangement of solvent feed member in connection therewith.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above-described views, to indicate corre-V sponding parts.

Referring `to the drawing, the referencecharv acter l0 indicates themain body or barrel of the pen. Within the lower open end of said body or barrel lois disposed a plug 11 which is suitably ailiXed in place'and'which is provided at its upper or inner'end with a spud 12 of reduced diameter, over which is engaged the mouth of asac 13 which serves as a reservoir for a supply of Water or other suitable solvent. The sac 13 extends upwardly` within the interior of the barrel or body The sac 13 consists in a iiexible rubber body capable of 'being collapsed and expanded for lling operations, by suitable means actuatable-from the exterior of the barrel or body 10 in the manner familiar to the art, as e. g; by means of a manipulatable filling` lever 14 (see Fig. `1) and expandible sac 13 is illustrative of one of: several common forms of reservoir means, and consequently, in its broader aspects, the present invention is not to be considered as limited to the use thereof, since any `other type of reservoir and filling means therefor, familiar to the art, may be employed in place thereof.Y Said plug 11 and its spud 12 is provided with an axial bore 15 to receive and closely fit a feed member to be subsequently described, whereby said feed member operatively communicates with the interior of the sac 13 and the solvent therein con--` tained. At its lower or outer end, said plug 11 is provided with an .axial internally'threaded socket 16 of enlarged diameter as compared with. the diameter of said' bore 15. l v

'I'he reference character 17 indicates the throat member of Ithe fountain pen, the lower end of' which is suitably bored to provide a chamber 18 to receive and immovably hold a feed bar 191 and'associated pen nib 20. The upper end of said throat member 17 is provided with an opening 21 aligned with and communicating with the. upper end of said chamber 18, said opening being of smaller diameter than the diameter of the chamber 18. Connected with the upper end of said throat member 17 is a coupler housing 22; which is counterbored to receive the head 23 offa coupler member, said coupler member being suitably rigidly or immovably securedto said hous ing. Dependent from thehead 220i said cou# pler member is a shank 24 of reduced diameter, which extends through an opening 25` in the It will be obvious that the collapsible bottom of the housing 22 sized to fit the same. The coupler member may be made of metal and the housing 22 of material corresponding to that of the barrel 10 and throat member 17. If desired, however, the coupler member and housing may be made in one-piece instead of the twopiece form as shown. The lower end of the shank 24 is inserted downwardly through the top opening 21 of said throat member 17, and thus into the upper end of the chamber 18 of the latter. Said lower end of said shank 24 is externally threaded, as at 26, to receive a suitable nut 27 adapted to engage and compress a packing material 28 disposed in the upper end of said chamber 18 around said shank 24. By this arrangement the throatl member is secured in connected relation to the coupling member while yet being free to turn thereon about its longitudinal axis. Said coupling member, constituted by the head 23 and shank 24, is provided with an axial bore 28 to receive and closely i'lt a feed member. The feed member comprises a cylindrical rod 29 pro-- vided throughout its length with a laterally open feed channel or duct 30. This feed member is immovably aixed to or footed in the upper end portion of the feed bar 19 so as to extend axially thereof upwardly through the bore 28 of the coupling member for upward projection beyond the latter. Said feed bar 19 is provided with a channel or duct 31 which communicates with the channel or duct of the feed member, and which leads from the latter to pen nib 20 for the delivery of writing uid to the latter as will subsequently be made plain. At its upper or outer end said coupling member head 23 is provided with an axial internally threaded socket 32 of enlarged diameter and concentric to the feed member 29.

The reference character 33 indicates the ink material magazine, the same comprising a cylindrical shell having an upper portion 33 of reduced external diameter to fit into the barrel or body 10 below the plug 11, as shown. Preferably the shell is closed at one end, e. g. its upper end, by an integral end wall 34, and is open at its opposite end. Extending centrally through the shell 33 is a hub sleeve 35 of a length exceeding the length of the shell, whereby the exteriorly projecting ends thereof respectively provide, at the respective ends of the shell 33, externally screw threaded stubs 36 and 37. Extending axially through said hub portion 35 is a bore 38 to receive and closely fit the feed member 29. Extending longitudinally along the intermediate portion of said hub sleeve 35, as integral parts thereof and in circumferentially spaced radial projection therefrom, are a plurality of partition members 39 which abut the outer wall of said magazine shell 33, thus dividing the interior of the shell into a plurality of ink material storage chambers or compartments 40 radial to said hub sleeve 35. Formed in the wall of said hub sleeve 35 to provide communication between each chamber or compartment 40 are one or more ports 41. Preferably these ports 41 are located to communicate with the upper end portions of the chambers or compartments 40 when the pen is disposed in writing position. Said chambers or compartments are open at their lower ends,

and the shell 33 is provided at its lower openend with a countersunk seat 42 to receive a closure washer or disk 43, which, when in place, serves to close the lower open ends of said chambers or compartments 40. The chambers or compartments 40 are each charged or packed with a body 44 of suitable soluble ink material. This ink material may be provided in any suitable form, such e. g. as in stick form, or in the form of either a powder or a paste.

To assemble the magazine 33 in operative relation to and between the barrel or body 10 and the throat member 17 and its coupling member, the reduced end portion 33 of the magazine is inserted in the end of the barrel or body 10 and the stub 36 is aligned with the socket 16, whereupon by turning the magazine said stub 36 is screwed tightly and securely home in coupled relation to the plug 11, and thereby said magazine is affixed in operative relation to the barrel 10 and the solvent reservoir 13 contained therein. The feed member 29 carried by the throat member 17 is now aligned with the bore 38 of the magazine hub sleeve 35 and is pushed upwardly therethrough, with its upper end entered in tne bore l5 of the plug 1l, whereby, at the same time the socket 32 of the coupling member 23 is aligned with the magazine stub 37, so that by turning the coupling member, the same is screwed tightly and securely home in coupled relation to the lower end of the magazine, whereby the latter is ailixed in operative relation to the throat member 17. When the parts are thus operatively assembled, it will be obvious that the barrel 10, magazine 33, and coupling member 23 will all be immovably aflixed one to the other, while the throat member 17, and feed member 29 carried thereby, may be rotated about a longitudinal axis relative to the former parts, so that the throat member 17 turns about the shank 24 of the coupling member, while the feed member 29 turns in the bore 38 of the magazine hub-sleeve 35. It will also be obvious that the described connected arrangement of the barrel, magazine and throat member interlocks these parts together against accidental separation during use of the pen.

When the pen parts are operatively assembled together in the manner described, the feed member 29 may be turned in the bore 38 of the magazine hub-sleeve 35 to align its feed channel 30 with the port or ports 41 of any given ink material chamber or compartment of the magazine. In order to assist the user in readily and quickly ascertaining the operative position of the feed member 29 relative to a given ink charnber or compartment of the magazine, the outer surface of the throat member may be provided with positioning marks or indicia corresponding in number and circumferential spacing to the number and spacing of the magazine ink chambers or compartments, which marks or indicia can be opposed, by turning of the throat member 17, to a register mark carried by the magazine to indicate the operative aligning position of the feed member channel 30 with the port or ports 41 of the selected chamber or compartment with which the feed member is desired to be brought in operative relation.

In the operation of the pen, after the feed member has been aligned with a given ink material chamber or compartment of the magazine, water or other solvent from the reservoir sac 13 will flow downwardly through the feed channel 30 and will pass through the cooperating port or ports 4l into contact with the ink material 44. Portions of the ink material will dissolve and go into solution in the water or solvent, thus producing a writing fluid which will iiow on clown the feed channel 30 to the feed bar duct 41, whereby the writing fluid will be delivered to the pen 15G LGS -nib"l2`0 inservice relation thereto 4for carrying on 'writing operations. Y

When the ipen is capped and'reversed to upturnediposition, for `carrying in the pocket in the usual manner, the solvent `or waterwill flow back iintothe sac '13 and Awill drain out ofthe ink material chamber or pocket through the ports 41.

' It -will be obvious'that after the ink material is `exhausted)from-one chamber or compartment of fthemagazine, the feed member 29 may be turned to registerits feed channel 30 with another com- *partment or chamber, and so on until `the entire supplyt of ink 'material has been exhausted and the magazine is empty.

" "l-hewempty magazinemay' berernoved from the pen `and recharged `with ink material, or `replaced `with ainew filled imaga'zine; This is `accomplishedibyunscrewing the coupling member 23v fromthe lower end of the magazine to permit JZG.

the {detachment of the throat member 1'? there- :from `and the withdrawal therefrom of the feed `member which is jcarried'by said throat member;4 whereupon the magazine, in turn., may be unscrewedfrom the barrel plug 11` and thus detached from the barrel l for rellingor replacement. The refilled or a new magazine is then reassembled in the pen assembly in the manner Ashown in Fig. 5) to cooperate with the communication slotBO of such form of feed member, or said slot maybe arranged ,to communicate with `the port or ports 41 of the magazine as Aheretoforedescribed, It will .also be `noted that the feed" bar 1"9 maybe provided with a reservoir pocket 31 communicating with its duct 31, so that when the pen is upturned to carrying position a priming charge of writing fluid may be trapped therein ready for immediate delivery to the pen nib when next using the pen for writing.

Other changes than those indicated could be made in the various constructions and many apparently different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of this invention as defined by the following claims; it is therefore intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:-

1. In a soluble ink fountain pen, a barrel arranged to provide a solvent reservoir, a throat member carrying a pen nib and feed bar therefor, a magazine having a plurality of separate ink material storage chambers, means to affix said magazine to said barrel means to rotatably couple said throat member to said magazine, and a feed member rotatable with said throat member and adapted to extend through said magazine in intercommunicating relation between said solvent reservoir andv said feed bar, said feed member having lateral means of communication with said magazine whereby rotation of said feed member operates to selectively position the same in communication with said ink material storage members of the magazine.

2. In a soluble ink fountain pen, a barrel ar- *ranged to provide a solvent `reservoir, -a throat *member'carrying apen nib and feed-bar therefor,

`arnagazine having Ia 'plurality of separate'inlr l-Inaterial `storage chambers, means to detachably aiiix said magazine `to `said barrel, means lto de- "tachably but rotatably couple said throat members to said magazine, a feed `member afxed to the feed bar of said throat member so as to turn withthelatten -said feed member extending axially through said magazine into `communication with said solvent reservoir, and said feed member havingflateral means iof communication adapted to 'be selectively positioned in communication with `the ink storage-chambers of said magazine 4when said feed member is turned by `rotation oi' said throat member relative to said magazine.

3; In a soluble ink fountain pen, va barrel arranged to provide a solvent reservoir, la closure plug in the lower end of said barrel having an internally threaded socket, a magazine having 'a "0 plurality' of separate ink vmaterial storage rchainbers, athreaded stub'atoneend'of said magazine "to screw intosaid rsocket to thereby detacliably affix said magazine to said barrel, a throat member carrying a pen nib and feed bar therefor, va i-` coupling means with `which said throat member is rotatably connected, said coupling means having an internally threaded socket, a threaded stub at the opposite end of saidmagazine to screw into said coupling jmeans socket to 'thereby de- `tachably afliX said coupling means to said magazine, a feed member ailixed to the feed bar of saidthroat member so as to ,turn with the latter, said feed member extending axially through said coupling means and magazine into communica- Ytion with solvent reservoir, and said feed member having lateral means of Vcommunication adapte-dto .beselectively positioned in communication with the ink storage chambers of said magazine when said feed member ,is `turned 'by `relation of said throat member relative to `said magazine.`

4. In a soluble inlr fountain pen, a `barrel arranged to provide a solvent reservoir, a closure plug in the lower end of said barrel having an affix said magazine to said barrel, a throat meml ber carrying a pen nib and feed bar therefor, a coupling means with which said throat member is rotatably connected, said coupling means having a shank entered in the upper end of said throat member, packing material in said upper end of the throat member around said shank, a keeper nut threaded on said shank to hold said packing material, said coupling means vhaving an internally threaded socket, a threaded stub at the opposite end of said magazine to screw into said coupling means socket to thereby detachably affix said coupling means to said magazine, a feed member afnxed to the feed bar of said throat member so as to turn with the latter, said feed member extending axially through said coupling means and magazine into communication with said solvent reservoir, and said feed member having lateral means of communication adapted to be selectively positioned in communication with any one of said ink material storage chambers of said magazine when said feed member is turned by rotation of said throat member relative to said magazine.

5. In a soluble ink fountain pen, a barrel arranged to provide a solvent reservoir, a throat member carrying a pen nib and a feed bar therefor, a magazine having an axial hub sleeve and radial circumferentially spaced partitions to subdivide its interior into a plurality of separate ink storage chambers, said hub sleeve having lateral passages between the several chambers and the bore of said sleeve, means to detachably aix said barrel to one end of said magazine, means to detachably but rotatably couple said throat member to the other end of said magazine, a feed member rotatable with said throat member and adapted to extend through the bore of said magazine hub sleeve in intercommunication between said solvent reservoir and said feed bar, said feed member having lateral means of communication adapted to be selectively positioned in registration with any of the passages leading to the ink material storage chambers of said magazine when said feed member is turned by rotation of said throat member.

6. In a soluble ink fountain pen, a barrel arranged to provide a solvent reservoir, a throat member carrying a pen nib and a feed bar therefor, a magazine having an axial hub sleeve and radial circumferentially spaced partitions to subdivide its interior into a plurality of separate ink storage chambers, said hub sleeve having lateral passages between the several chambers and the bore of said sleeve, said hub sleeve having threaded end portions projecting from the ends of the magazine, a closure plug in the lower end of said barrel having an internally threaded socket into which a threaded end portion of said hub sleeve screws to detachably aiix said barrel to one end of said magazine, a coupling means with which said throat member is rotatably connected, said coupling means having an internally threaded socket into which the other threaded end portion of said hub sleeve screws to detachably ax said coupling means to the other end of said magazine, a feed member rotatable with said throat member and adapted to extend through the bore of said magazine hub sleeve in intercommunication between said solvent reservoir and said feed bar, said feed member having lateral means of communication adapted to be selectively positioned in registration with any one of the passages leading to the ink material storage chambers of said magazine when said feed member is turned by rotation of said throat member.

7. In a soluble ink fountain pen, a barrel arranged to provide a solvent reservoir, a throat member carrying a pen nib and a feed bar therefor, a magazine having an axial hub sleeve and radial circumferentially spaced partitions to subdivide its interior into a plurality of separate ink storage chambers, said hub sleeve having lateral passages between the several chambers andY the bore of said sleeve, said hub sleeve having threaded end portions projecting from the ends' of the magazine, a closure plug in the lower end of said barrel having an internally threaded socket into which a threaded end portion of said hub sleeve screws to detachably ailix said barrel to one end of said magazine, a coupling means having a shank entered in the upper end of said throat member whereby said throat member is rotatably connected to said coupling means, packing material in the upper end of said throat member around said shank, a keeper nut to hold said packing material, said coupling means having an internally threaded socket into which the other threaded end portion of said hub sleeve screws to detachably amx said coupling means to the other end of said magazine, a feed member rotatable with said throat member and adapted to extend through the bore of said magazinel hub sleeve in intercommunication between said solvent reservoir and said feed bar, said feed member having lateral means of communication adapted to be selectively positioned in registration with any one of said passages leading to the ink material storage chambers of said magazine when said feed member is turned by rotation of said throat member.

RUSSELL B. KINGMAN. 

